Display figure



A fil 26, 1949.

Filed Feb. 10, 1947 J. H. WILKEN DISPLAY FIGURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 26, 1949. J. H. WlLKEN DISPLAY FIGURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1947 Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES P OFFICE DISPLAY FIGURE James Henry Wilken, Dariinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 4 Claims.

This invention has been devised to provide a display figure having the trunk of the body in two parts constructed and arranged so that the body can be moved from above the hips to any stance the human figure might naturally adopt and to be maintained at such position.

Hitherto display figures devised for movement as above have had incorporated in the trunk a form of universal joint at the waist position. The gap necessarily formed between the two parts of the trunk to permit of the required movement was covered by a band of elastic or like material. While this type of figure met the requirement of displays for some variations in pose, the movement from the waist is not a natural movement and consequently in some stances the display figure appears grotesque. Further the elastic like band cannot be made to appear as part of the figure body. Consequently, such figures cannot be used to advantageously display these types of garments which expose parts of the abdomen.

The display figure of the invention overcomes the defects referred to above. The movement of the upper part of the trunk on the lower part is efiected by a sliding action Of the upper part on the lower part. This movement is effected in such manner that the need for a cover band is dispensed with. The two parts of the trunk are held together by an arrangement of springs which permit of any desired stance being efiected and maintained.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings wherein Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are diagrammatic front views of the relevant parts of a display figure showing the upper part of the trunk leaning to the left and positioned straight and leaning to the right respectively and showing one method of anchoring the springs; Figs. 4 and 5 are side views of the display figure showing the upper part of the trunk upright and inclined for-- wardly respectively; Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional perspective views showin in greater detail the mounting of the upper part of the trunk on the lower part and showing two embodiments of anchoring means for the springs.

The figure is made as a hollow shell by methods well known in the art. The lower part 8 of the trunk of the figure at or about the top of the hip line is set inwardly as at 9 in approximately the natural inward curvature of the upper part of the hips. At the end of this inward curve an upward projection I is formed.

The upper part II of the trunk of the figure at the lower end is shaped to slidably fit upon the lower part 8 at the commencement of the inwardly curved part 9. It has an inward projection l2 which b contact with the projection it limits the movement of the upper part of the figure about the lower part.

A. bar 53 fixed in the upper part of the trunk constitutes anchorage for the springs in such part. Two helical (tension) springs I l-l5 are anchored to this bar 53; they project downwardly and the bottom ends are secured to a plate I6 fixed in the lower part 8 of the trunk (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6) preferably at the position of the crotch. Alternatively as shown in Fig. '7 the bottom ends of the springs are secured to floating bridge bar H. A third helical spring i8 positioned between the springs Mi 5 is held in compression by wires or rods 99 anchored to the bar it and by wires or rods 29 anchored to the plate [6 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6). Alternatively as shown in Fig. 7 the wires or rods 253 are secured to the floating bridge bar ll. The wires or rods I9 are passed downwardly through the spring 58 and secured to the bottom thereof. The wires or rods 20 are passed upwardly through the spring l8 and secured to the top thereof.

The floating bridge bar 11 has a screwed hose or nut 2| thereon to take tension adjusting screw 22. Where the plate 16 is incorporated it is drilled to constitute a keep for this tension adjusting screw 22. Alternatively a plate (not shown) is bedded in the crotch of the lower part of the trunk as a keep for the adjusting screw 22. This screw 22 is long enough to reach and engage the boss or nut 2i and to draw said bridge bar I! to a position where the desired tension is placed upon the tension springs |4-l5 and compression on the compression spring l8.

The screw 22 is free to rotate in the keep and the hole in the keep is so much larger than the screw as is necessary to permit the screw to move as on a pivot in the keep to permit the floating bridge bar H to align with the bar l3. There is a spring 23 between the head 24 of the screw 22 and the keep which functions as a cushion and assists in keeping the screw 22 free for pivotal movement.

It will be seen that in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 it is necessary to provide an opening in the body of the figure to provide access to the springs in the assembly thereof. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 7 no such opening is required. The screw 22 is accessible through the crotch.

I claim:

1. A display figure having the trunk of the body in two parts, namely an upper part and a lower part; said lower part being set inwardly at or about the hip line in a curve approximating the curvature of the hips and having an upward projection at the end of the inwardly set part; said upper part at the lower end being shaped to slidably fit upon the lower part at the position of the inwardly set portion of the lower part; a helical spring held in compression by means anchored in the upper part and in the lower part of the figure respectively; a tension spring on each side of said compression spring having anchoring means whereby they are secured in the upper part and in the lower part of the figure respectively.

2. A display figure having the trunk of the body in two parts, namely an upper part and a lower part; said lower part being set inwardly at or about the hip line in a curve approximating the curvature of the hips and having an upward projection at the end of the inwardly set part; said upper part at the lower end being shaped to slidably fit upon the lower part at the position of the inwardly set portion of the lower part; an anchor bar fixed in the upper part of the figure; two helical springs secured to said anchor bar and to a floating bridge bar; a helical spring held in compression by means secured to said anchor bar and to said floating bridge bar; a screwed boss or nut on said floating bridge bar and a tension and compression adjusting screw housed in a keep in the crotch of the figure engaged in said boss or nut.

3. A display figure having the trunk of the body in two parts, namely, an upper part and a lower part; said lower part being set inwardly at or about the hip line in a curve approximating the curvature of the hips and having an upward projection at the end of the inwardly set part; said upper part at the lower end being shaped to slidably fit upon the lower part at the position of the inwardly set portion of the lower part; springs secured in said upper and in said lower parts whereby said parts are held together.

4. A display figure having the trunk of the body in two parts, namely, an upper part and a lower part; said lower part being set inwardly at or about the hip line in a curve approximating the curvature of the hips and having an upward projection at the end of the inwardly set part; said upper part at the lower end being shaped to slidably fit upon the lower part at the position of the inwardly set portion of the lower part; tension and compression spring means respectively anchored in the upper and lower parts to hold the same together and permit relative angular adjustment.

JAMES HENRY WILKEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 972,876 Horton Oct. 11, 1910 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 362,513 Great Britain Dec. 20, 1928 

